Arizona state Sen. Sylvia Allen (R) got a little off-topic during a committee debate on gun legislation Tuesday, telling appropriations committee members that she believes Sunday church attendance should be required by law for every American.

African-American civil rights leaders and members of Congress are harshly criticizing Republicans and Mitch McConnell for making Loretta Lynch wait longer than any attorney general candidate in the last 30 years to get a vote.

Rep. Jonathan Stickland’s “former fetus” sign isn’t just a matter ripe for mockery. It’s an issue of life and death for the people in Texas who rely on Planned Parenthood, and other specialized providers of reproductive health care, for affordable cancer screenings and treatment.

Tom Cotton has a history of making inflammatory statements that push the bounds of political decorum, even for the most bombastic lawmakers. These have included outlandish comments about the Affordable Care Act, which he has virulently opposed.

Controversial Colorado state Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt, who once suggested that a gay Congressman would “join ISIS in beheading Christians,” has said he’s “very proud” of a South Dakota legislator who compared Planned Parenthood to the Islamic State.

On this episode of Reality Cast, Dr. Elizabeth Patton explains the relationship between religious belief and political support for contraception policy. In another segment, host Amanda Marcotte discusses the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and how women’s rights were yet again a punching bag.